


As Within, So Without

by sourgrenadine (FlyByMe)



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Adachi being Adachi, Age Difference, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Dubious Morality, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Murder, Serial Killers, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:08:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyByMe/pseuds/sourgrenadine
Summary: Second year Itsutou Hitomi is being crushed under the weight of her parents' expectations, her peer's opinions, and her community's judgements.Police detective Adachi Tohru just wants a plaything to tide him over as he waits to see how his game plays out. Seeing an easy opportunity in a high school student, he makes his move. Much to his chagrin, her own thoughts aren't as naïve as he thought they'd be.
Relationships: Adachi Tohru/Original Character(s), Adachi Tohru/Original Female Character(s), Adachi Tohru/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

He holds a gun to my forehead. I tell him to shoot. He laughs at me, but I don't mind because I know it will be over soon.

* * *

April 12th, 2011.  
Tuesday. Morning.

The mist is thin, but the resulting moisture makes my uniform stick to my body. I'm walking to school. First day of my second year. There's a spring in my step as I walk through the dreary streets. A few store owners wave at me, a few students too. I wave back of course, smiling as brightly as I can before continuing on my route to the school.

My image is something I'm very proud about. I wear makeup (not enough for teachers to hound me about), get top grades, and try to be as friendly as I can to everyone else. I'm popular amongst my peers, what more could I ask for?

Unfortunately, in a town as small as Inaba your family's reputation is your reputation and my bitch of a mother had to go and fuck some other man.

She's a bank manager here in Inaba. Most people know her because there's only one bank in the entire town. I'm not sure how many times they did it - the man she slept with was her boss, who knows what they did in his office? She was found out after doing it at his house though - the bastard's neighbors saw her leaving his house at 10 in the morning on day and just like that: poof! Our reputation down the drain. For my mother that meant being subjected to the housewive's distainful whispers and quiet pointing during the day. Her credibility reduced to ashes and her clients changed representatives.

My father, to her credit, was someone I would cuck if given the chance. No spine, the man is just a shop clerk at Junes. The fact he was even able to marry my mother is a shock because boy is he ugly.

I don't think either of my parents really know how disgusting I think they are. Busy with work, busy with the rumors, I'm left with what's left: the crushing expectation to be better than them. To dispel the slutty name my mother carved out for us. I won't be like her.

As I walk into my homeroom, I internally groan. Morooka. King Moron. Damn bastard shit-talks my family every chance he gets, even if I get top marks in his class. He's not in the classroom yet, so I settle quietly into the closest open seat to the door and unpack my school supplies.  
Morooka limps in and introduces himself gruffly. "Just 'cause it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love struck baboons," he glares at me in particular. "Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow!" Morooka introduces the student, warning the girls not to "get any ideas" and the boy quickly snaps back at Morooka's insults.  
"You calling me a loser?"  
Morooka sputters a bit before snapping at the boy, while Chie raises her hand and invites the boy to sit next to her. I stop paying attention, and the rest of the day passes in a blur.

Towards the end, as Morooka is wrapping up the class, an announcement chimes over the intercom. "Attention all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice."

Damn it. Stuck in this school for even longer. My mask stays on though. I smile complacently as a few girls come up to chat. It's all petty shit. "Hitomi-san! How was your day?" "I love your hair." "What are you doing after school?" They invite me to Junes for a fast food run, but god I'm too tired to deal with their crap for much longer so I decline as politely as I can.

"No thanks," I say, tilting my head, "My parents want me home right away, but thank you for inviting me!" I keep my smile on my face as they shuffle off, bidding me a goodbye.

Luckily, we're released soon after. The PA said something about the police...

* * *

Stepping out of the school, I'm one of the first out. Down a few blocks, the sidewalk is marked off and traffic stopped. Police cars swarm around the scene and onlookers stare in horror at the sky.

Following their gaze, I look up. Holy shit.

Strung up on a television antenna is the body of Mayumi Yamano, tied at the ankle. High in the air, the police are fishing her down as quickly as they can, trying to calm onlookers as they restlessly murmer amongst themselves. Just this week the gossip mill was honed in on Yamano's affair with Namatame, and it seemed to be resurfacing now.

"Do you think he did it?"  
"Maybe, but it looks awfully suspicious on his wife, doesn't it?"  
"Why so public though?"

After the police manage to remove her body, a few other students meander their way towards the scene. Chie, Yukiko, Yosuke, and the new kid approach me.

"Hey, Hitomi! What happened here?" Chie asks. She looks around at all of the police tape, listening in on the quiet gossip around. "Wait, what did she just say? A dead body!?"  
One of the policemen darts his head towards Chie's screams and hones in on the new kid. "Hey, what're you doing here?"  
"We're just passing through sir," I say. He glances at me and sighs.

"I should've figured that'd happen," he huffs about the principal for a moment before introducing himself as the new kid's guardian, Ryotaro Dojima. "You four really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home."

He's cut off by the dry heaves of another detective. He runs past our gathering, clutching at his abdomen as he hunches over on the ground. 

Dojima grits his teeth. "Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office!?" Adachi groans out an apology.

"Uh, Dojima-san?" I tenatively raise my hand. "My house is just a couple blocks down, it's quickest if I go through here, but it's blocked off... I have to get home before my parents get home." Dojima sighs, brushing his hand through his hair.

"Hm. Adachi, you take her through. Come straight back, don't loiter around like you always do." Dojima dismesses Adachi, and the two of us set off.

"Thanks for taking me. I know I could've just gone around, but my parents get home soon and if I don't tell them I'm going somewhere, they assume I'm slacking off with friends," I give Adachi a shaky smile and he returns it.

"It's nothing really, just doing my job!" He thinks for a second. "I feel you. My parents were pretty strict too." I doubt it. Judging by his ditzy personality and stupid smile, the expectations to succeed that he experienced were so weak that he's fine to be some detective's assistant in the middle of nowhere.

Of course, I don't speak my mind and instead give him my usual smile. "Mmm, yeah strict parents can be a little much, but I know they mean well. It's just that sometimes schoolwork gets kind of... I don't want to say dull, but the expectations are a lot some times."

Adachi kindly pats my shoulder before lighting up in excitement. "Here's an idea: we could talk more about it! I know you probably have a bunch of friends to talk to, but if you don't want your parents to think you're slacking off, you could always meet with me!" he scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Though, I guess my reputation of slacking off isn't that great either... but hey, I could still help you out with advice!" 

The detective pulls out a small pad of paper and a pen, and writes something down. "Here's my number, feel free to call or text any time you need to get something off your chest."  
We made it to my house and Adachi grins at me. "Don't be a stranger, ok? And stay safe!" and with that, he leaves for the crime scene. 

"Thank you!" I call out to his retreating form, but he doesn't look back.

* * *

I watch the news as my parents mill about in the kitchen. My parents rarely interact with each other now, but for some reason they're still together. I don't get it. My father should be outraged, demanding a divorce, but I suppose that since he's so dirt poor on his own he can't afford the court proceedings.

"How was school, sweetie?" he asks me, flipping through the newspaper.  
"It was fine."

The television shows the School Zone. "Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb. Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba."

My mother dips her head into the living room. "So close to the school? This better not affect your studies."  
"Of course not, mother." I switch the TV off.

I yawn. Jeez, it's late already. "Goodnight," I say, sliding the door to my room open. I slump over my bed, and quickly fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I've forgotten what life without him is like. I don't miss it for a second.

* * *

April 13th, 2011.  
Wednesday. Morning.

Sitting in my seat, my mind wanders off to somewhere else. The death of Mayumi Yamano has shaken up many of the residents of Inaba. Murders rarely occur in our small town, so to have a member of the public sphere so openly killed spooks some people.  
Maybe it's my general apathy, but I can't seem to make myself care very much. After all, it's only one murder. Probably a lover's quarrel from the politician fucking up his marriage. Nothing for civilians to get all worked up about, right?

The new kid - he called himself Yu yesterday - and Yosuke quickly dash into the classroom, a mere second before the bell rings, and pant in their seats as Morooka enters the classroom.  
"Be quiet, idiots! You guys ARE in high school, aren’t you!? Can’t you shut up during class?" Morooka introduces his class with an angry mantra of teenager's stupidity. I take notes when I can, nod along to his ramblings on philosophy, and before I know it, school is let out.  
"Hitomi-san, are you free today?" the girls from yesterday are back. Damn it. Still with a small smile plastered on my face, I mull it over. If I refuse again, they'll probably assume I'm not interested ever. Maybe they'll leave me alone. On the other hand, if they think I'm not interested in them, my reputation could suffer. I'd lose two "friends."  
"Oh, I'm free today! Where did you two want to go again?"  
They beam at me. "Junes! They're having a sale on produce and my parents really want me to pick some up. We can also eat at the food court for dinner!" Great. More time wasted with the lackeys.  
"Sounds fun! Let me pack up by backpack, then we can leave, okay?" They nod their heads at me and while I silently seethe, I pack my bag as promised. No use in delaying the inevitable.

As we walk to Junes, we chat a bit about yesterday. "Hope the cops figure out who killed Yamano," one exclaims.  
The other shakes her head. "They haven't even declared it a murder. Still trying to rule out that it wasn't a freak accident," Of course it was a murder. No accident, freak or not, ends with a woman dead and hanging from a television antenna.  
"It's pretty obviously a homicide isn't it?" I ask, tilting my head.  
"Well I definitely think so. Just saying the police don't seem to know what's going on."  
How interesting. My mind wanders to the police yesterday. I guess my interactions with them were pretty limited; Dojima didn't seem to want anything leaked out and Adachi... Well, Adachi was being Adachi. Come to think of it, I have his number now.  
I don't think it's customary for policemen to give out their numbers to high school girls. Adachi never came off as one of _those_ policemen, and he always acts so ditzy. He didn't seem to have any malintent yesterday, or any day for that matter. A few of my "friends" claimed he flirted with them, but no one takes him - or his words - very seriously so no one really cared. Flirty, but not perverted it seems.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. In the produce section of Junes, as we walk in I can see Adachi himself pursuing the leafy vegetable section. Large red numbers position themselves on the ends of every isle, and clerks cheerfully greet customers and promote the ongoing sales.  
Adachi peers inside his wallet, frowning at it's contents. With a sigh, he resigns himself to two heads of cabbage before making his way to a checkout clerk. Poor guy, only cabbage?

Before I can think, I'm shouting out to him: "Adachi-san! It's good to see you again!" The two girls look at me, confused.  
"'Good to see you again?' Hitomi-san, I didn't know you knew Adachi."  
"Oh, well I don't really _know_ him, but he walked me home yesterday. The crime scene blocked my route to my house, so he helped me through."  
Adachi walks over to us, bringing the heads of cabbage in his arms. "Oh, Hitomi-kun, it's nice to see you," he smiles at me. "Glad to run into you somewhere away from the crime scene. It really gives me the creeps, you know?"  
I glance at the veggies in his arms. "Just cabbage? No wonder you're so skinny, you should eat more!" Adachi sheepishly grins.  
"Well, I'm still pretty new to the Inaba police force. I don't get payed a whole lot, so I try to save money when I can," you'd think for someone with so little money he'd put more effort in to stop being a dumbass, but clearly he can't be bothered.  
"Oh yeah, you're not from Inaba right? Where'd you come from again?" by now the girls I was with have dispersed to other parts of the food mart, looking over snacks.  
"I transferred from Kofu. It's a crazy contrast to Inaba; the big city sure is lively," he shrugs his shoulders.  
I think about my words for a bit. "I bet. I've never even been out of Inaba before... To be honest I'm a little bored of it."

Adachi's eyes light up. "Never been out of town!? Jeez, you don't know what you're missing!" he almost drops his cabbages. "Ah wow. Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that. You'd think most kids these days would want out of Nowheresville. Uh, no offense."  
_Kids?_ I'm no kid. How dare he call me that? He's not even much older than me! Maybe it's my irritation, maybe it's a slip of the tongue, but I drop my mask a bit.  
"I'm no kid, Tohru- _kun_."  
Adachi almost looks insulted. "Well, Hitomi- _chan_ , you're still in high school," he looks over my uniform. "I'm working a full-time job, so I think that makes me your superior, no?" God, even when snarky Adachi manages to keep his stupid attitude. He maintains a goofy grin as he pats my head, dropping a cabbage in the movement.  
"Hey, why don't I buy you something more than... shitty cabbage. You need something better to eat," I offer, tentatively picking up the cabbage. He stares at it in my hand, before relinquishing the second cabbage.

I abandon the two girls I was with, or rather they've abandoned me. They're nowhere in sight as Adachi and I meander through the various isles. I take one of the handheld baskets, picking up dry pasta, vegetables, fruits, and a package of beef before returning to the checkout and paying for the groceries.  
"T-thank you. You really didn't have to pay for all of this," Adachi murmurs, picking up one of the plastic bags.  
I wave him off. "It's nothing really. My parent's money anyways, they don't really care if I spend it, and my dad gets a family discount for working here," in all honestly I enjoy spending their money.  
"Where's your place? We can go and drop these off now, better we get the beef in a fridge sooner than later."

* * *

We make it to his place. It's a small townhouse style deal with no space between neighboring houses. Adachi unlocks his front door (the middle house), and ushers me inside. He hastily shuts the door, glancing around at the neighboring houses. Weirdo.  
"Heh, sorry about that. Sometimes my neighbors can be kinda nosy," he grins. I shrug it off and look around his home.  
Jesus Christ, it's like no one lives here. The walls are painted a flat white, screen doors have tight white screens inside still. The tatami mats lining the floor hardly have any indents or signs of anyone stepping on them, and there's one small couch and table set sitting adjacent to a large, boxy TV. To one side is a small kitchenette consisting of a microwave, one stovetop unit, a sink, and a cramped countertop next to a small refrigerator. Everything looks like a house listing advertisement; it's devoid of anything personal.  
Gesturing with the plastic bags in my hand, I ask: "Uh where should I set this down?" Adachi motions to the counter, and I begin to unpack. Why'd I agree to this? What a waste of time.

The two of us sort through the groceries, placing the beef in the fridge next to a couple of takeout boxes and some half-empty water bottles. Vegetables and fruits stay on the counter, and dry items to be put in a cupboard underneath it.  
I make to leave but Adachi bars the door with his arm. 

"Thank you, Hitomi-chan. Really."

He leans over me. When did he get so tall? I can feel his breath on my face as he gazes down over me. Should I find this gross? This man -- late twenties -- shows his intentions pretty clearly. Should this be something that feels wrong? Because right now, despite everything within me screaming to hit him -- push him away -- scream at him... I find I don't really mind his proximity.

"Any time, Tohru-kun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the use of honorifics is kinda cringy here, but there's no fantastic way in English to convey the levels of respect that goes into addressing someone in Japanese.  
> An explanation: initially Adachi calls our MC Hitomi-kun, but it's not in a bro buddy way. Superiors in a company, teachers, and even family friends may use the honorific "kun" for younger/inferior females to establish that they are a higher position, but not connotate any "creeper" vibes that may accompany using "chan" casually. Basically it's saying "I have a higher status than you, note that but I'm not trying to belittle you."  
> Then later, MC refers to Adachi as Tohru-kun when she feels he insulted her, showing she doesn't care for the established hierarchy of him being her superior.  
> And finally, Adachi calls MC Hitomi-chan, dropping the pretenses and being VERY casual with her. While "chan" doesn't inherently denote disrespect, Adachi and MC really don't know each other so he comes off as kinda... condescending.  
> In the end, they stick with the very casual Tohru-kun and Hitomi-chan. Guess they're pretty close now, or at least that's how outsiders will see it.
> 
> Sorry for such a long end note, just wanted to explain a bit.


End file.
